Envelop-opener.



F. MASTRANGELO.

ENVELOP OPENER.

APPucATlon FILED FEB. 5. 191B Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

FRANK MASTRANGELO, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

EN VELOP- OPENER.

Application filed February 5, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK MAs'rRANGELo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitchburg, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ea velop-Openers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to envelop cutters, and particularly to those cutters which are disposed within the envelop when the envelop is sealed and which are used for openingthe envelop.

The general object of this invention is to provide a cutter of this character which is of such form that it may be used as a carrier of advertising matter.

A further object is to provide a'cutter of this character with a handle which may be turned down upon the exterior of the envelop so as to be out of the way and yet when turned up will permit the envelop to be readily cut or opened at one end.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

Myinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a faceview of one form of blank used in making my improved envelop.

Fig. 2 are obverse and reverse. face views of the cutter;

Fig. 3 is an inside face view of the envelop showing the first fold which is made;

Fig. 4 is a like view to Fig. 3 showing the manner in which the cutter is inserted after the second fold has been made;

Fig. 5 is a like view to Fig. 4 showing the envelop completely folded but unsealed and the handle or extremity of the cutter projecting out from the envelop;

Fig. 6 is a like view to Fig. 5, but showing the manner in which the cutter is pulled open to slit the end of the envelop and permit the contents of the envelop to be withdrawn;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of the cutter with its handle attached thereto but without the prongs being bent down; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary face view of the envelop showing the manner in which the cutter is first shifted to open the envelop.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the blank for the envelop consists of a body portion 10, a sealing flap 11, a bottom flap Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Serial No. 215,514.

12, a lateral flap or end .fiap 13, an opposite end flap 14 and a back flap 15 attached to the end flap 14. The edge of the flap 14, it will be seen, extends diagonally from the outer corner of the flap 15 to the lower corner of the body portion 10, but about midway of the edge of the flap 14, there is a notch 16 and the angles of this edge on each side of the notch differ from each other. The flaps 11 and 12 have approximately the usual form and the lateral edge of the end flap 13 extends upward and outward nearly to the top of the body portion 10. The cutter 17, which is illustrated in Fig. 2, has a form of a segment of a circle. It has two nearly right angular edges and a curved edge 18 joining the obtuse angular edges. This cutter'is made of relatively stiff cardboard and may bear on one or both sides advertising matter or attractive pictures with advertising matter. Attached to one corner of the cutter is a finger or handle 19 which is made of pliable metal rectangular in form, as illustrated in Fig. 7, having prongs 20 which may be inserted through the material of the cutter and clenched down to hold the handle 19 in place.

It will be seen that the finger 19 is right angular in form so as to provide a. basal portion 20 from which extend the prongs 20 and that the finger 19 is connected to the lower extremity .of the basal portion by means of a cutting edge 19 which projects beyond the edge of the cutter 17 and has angular relation thereto.

In folding the envelop, the first step is to fold the portion 15 which forms the back of the envelop down upon the portion 14,- as illustrated in Fig. 3. These folded portions 14 and 15 are then bent over upon the body portion, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The cutter 17 is then inserted in the open end of the envelop between the portion 15 and the portion 14 and the end flap 13 is then folded over upon the flaps 15 and 14 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5 and gummed and the flap 12 is then folded up and gummed to the flaps 14 and 13 as also illustrated in Fig. 5, the handle or finger 19 projecting out through the upper end of the flap 13. The inclosure may then be placed within the envelop, that is, between the back 15 and the body portion 10 and the sealing flap 11 gummed down. The finger or handle 19 is then folded over upon the body of the envelop, as shown at X in Fig. 6. When it is desired to open, the envelop the finger or handle X is turned outward again to the position shown in Fig. 8 and the cutter pulled outward as shown in Fig. 8 until it reaches the position shown in Fig.6, which cuts the end of the envelop and allows the inclosure to be removed and also allows the cutter to be removed.

While I have shown the particular form of envelop and while I prefer to make the envelop in this form inasmuch as it permits' me to make it in one piece of material, I do not wish to be limited to this as the cutter may be used with an ordinary envelop. It will be noted also that the lower flap 12 when sealed prevents the cutter from getting out of place and that also the cutter is prevented from getting out of place by the fact that the finger or cutter is turned down, as shown in Fig. 6. g

It will be seen that with the construction illustrated in the drawings, an. initial cut in the envelop is formed by the cutting portion 19 and that after this initial cut is formed the edge of the pasteboard cutter 17 will continue the cut down the edge of the envelop.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1 An envelop cutter of the character described comprising a segmental sheet of stiff material having two sides nearly at right angles to each other, one of said sides having a depth approximately equal to the height of the envelop in which it is contained and both of said sides being equal in length, the third edge of the cutter being curved on a center coincident with the junction of the two side edges, the cutter being provided ata point where the curved edge Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by axldressing the joins the straight edge with a metallic pliable tongue adapted to bedisposed through the material at the end of the envelop and bent over upon the back thereof to thereby hold the cutter in its fixed position but adapted to be unfolded to form; a handle whereby the cutter may be rotated upon its corner, the'cutter being of cardboard and the metallic tongue having prongs insertible through the cardboard to hold the tongueto the cardboard; V I I v i 2. An envelop cutter of relatively stifi material adapted to extend within an envelop and along one edge thereof, the cutter being approximately triangularin form and at one extremity having a" pliable tongue extending from it, the tongue being approximately right angular in form to provide a basal portion engaged with the margin of the cutter, said basal portion having its outer edge extending to the tongue at an angle, said outer edge projecting slightly beyond the edge of the cutter to form acutting edge.

31 As an article of manufacture, a cutter for envelop openerscomprising' an angular thin metallic member formed" to provide a base, and a pliable tongue, the basevbe'ing provided with pliable prongs whereby it may be attached to the margin of a cutter, the base havingits outer end ext'endingto the tongue at an angle and forming a cutting edge. I

In testimony whereofI' hereunto aih'x my signature in the prcsenceof-twowitnesses,

FRANK MASTR'A'NGELO.

Witnesses:

THOMAS CASEY, WVM. H. BARRETT.

Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

